Cave Spring High School to honor soldier killed in Afghanistan

He lost his life serving our country, and fighting to help keep Afghanistan free from terrorist control.

Friday night, Cave Spring High School will honor Army Sergeant Jesse Clowers Jr.‘s life and sacrifice.

The Department of Defense says the former Knight, and Virginia Tech graduate was killed by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) back in August of 2007.  Clowers had a wife and two children, including a baby girl he never got the chance to meet.

“My daughter spoke at his funeral, and said he was one of the only guys that could say they were a cheerleader and a green beret.  That is the scope of his personality, who he was and what he was,“ said Joyce Clowers, Jesse’s mother.

Joyce says she is she is reminded of her son daily, especially when she sees her grandchildren.  “They keep me going.  I can see so much of him in them.  When I am playing with Dani, I look up at his picture and say ‘you would have loved her’.  She would have had him wrapped around his finger, just like the little boy did,“ Joyce says.

Joyce will receive the honor and remember flag at Dwight Bogle stadium Friday night.  She says the event will be special.

“Proud of any honor they give him, and he deserves any honor they give him,“ Joyce told me.

Jesse played for Cave Spring back in the late 1990s.  The flag his mother will receive looks similar to one that honors Jared Kubasak.  He was killed four years ago in Iraq.

Dana Kubasak said the flag has been a nice reminder of how her son lived his life, and died for his country. 

“Just knowing everybody else is remembering too.  We are proud of it.  It means alot to us, knowing the flag is helping people remember about our soldiers sacrifices,“ Dana said.

Friday night’s flag ceremony is being made possible by the generosity of the Hellcamp family.  Their son Eric received scholarship money from a fund honoring Jared Kubasak.

To show their thanks, the Hellcamp family wanted to get a flag for the Kubasak’s.  But since the Kubasak’s already had one, the Hellcamp’s decided to sponsor the flag for Jesse Clowers.